Saturday, June 21, 2003
Fast Company - June 2003
OODA = Observe-orient-decide-act. John
R. Boyd's decision making loop. [p. 29] This is mentioned in a letter referring
to an earlier article
on OODA in Fast Company.
Book blurb: Somebodies and
Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank, Robert W. Fuller, New Society Publishers.
- In a world where everybody is striving to be Somebody, Nobodies might have
the edge. - In order really to be a Somebody (who's famous for more than being famous)
you have to continue to grow, to venture into the unknown, to learn from others
who are more expert than you. In other words, you have to be willing ot be
a Nobody again (and again). [p. 50]
Fast Talk quotes:
- You have to surprise, charm, and engage people. The riskiest proposition
of all is sticking to the status quo, expecially in consservative times. Donny
Deutsch; Cairman and Chief Executive Officer; Duetsch, Inc. [p. 57] - Improvisation is the key ingrediant to collaboration. If you can work together
and master the art of improvisation, there's no such thing as too many cooks
in the kitchen. Alice Waters; Founder, Owner, and Executive Chef; Chez
Panisse. [p. 58] - Somewhere along the way, companies lose sight of their core business. Our
job is to reconnect the company with its customers and start building value
again. Alec Gores; Founder and Chairman; Gores Technology Group.
[p. 66]
The www.meetup.com web site helps organize
meetings anywhere and on any topic. These are real face-to-face meetings, not
on-line meetings. But the site helps people with similar interests find each
other. Groups related to VWs, specific rock groups, political groups, and anime
meet in the Miami area. It uses technology to facilitate f2f interaction. Worth
looking into if you have an interest and want to find others to share it with.
[p.70]
There is an interesting and short article on Wal-Mart and how it works to keep
vital. [p. 76+]
- In reference to the tremendous grouth that Wal-Mart has witnessed and maintains,
the article says, "When you combine a consistent direction with substantial
speed, you achieve something greater than either of those elements alone:
momentum." [p. 78] - "The key to change is first to understand what not to change
and then to feel free to change everything else." [p. 78] - The core principle of Wal-Mart, according to this commentary, is "Using
its power to extract lower prices from suppliers and then passing those savings
along to customers." [p. 78] - "Never think of your company as great, no matter how successful
it becomes. Instead, always stay irrationally worried that it is never
really measuring up to its potential.
I really enjoyed the article about the Pottery Barn and how they changed from
a company that bought merchandise to one that designs everything they sell.
It describes the pride they take in a new line of towels. For example, they
say "it has a great dobby." A dobby is the the woven
band a few inches from the towel's edge. (Even towels have jargon; it isn't
limited to technology.) [p. 106+]
